Saving Mimi (Love, Sheldon Ep 3)
by OpalAngelWriter13
Summary: Sheldon is back home and he sees Mimi almost dead on the hospital bed... and he is upset. Things are not so easy all the time, but will they let these hardships get in their way? The third and last story of 'Love, Sheldon'. SHELDON X MIMI #6
1. Chapter 1: When Sheldon Met Mimi

Sheldon and Leonard arrived at the hospital.

"So Gabriel is not Mimi's boyfriend, sweetheart, ex, nor husband-to-be?" Sheldon asked excitedly.

"No." Leonard replied, angrily.

"Why are you so grumpy today?" Sheldon asked. "Aren't you happy I'm back?"

"I'm not happy you ran away in the first place." Leonard said. They reached the floor where Mimi's ward was.

Leonard opened the door for Sheldon and Sheldon stepped inside. He saw someone lying on a bed by herself – her face was as white as paper, and her eyes were closed. Her cheekbones jutted out from her face, which was so small Sheldon felt it would fit in one of his palms.

And no. Why had Leonard brought him here?

Because it was not Mimi he was seeing, no. He knew Mimi, and she wasn't supposed to look like this.

Leonard went over to the bed and shook the girl awake. "Mimi, Sheldon is here."

The girl opened her eyes and saw Sheldon. "Sheldon…?" she asked, almost like a whisper.

Leonard turned to Sheldon. "Sheldon, this is Mimi." He said.

Sheldon went over to Mimi and looked at her again. She looked worn out, and she had lost a lot of weight.

"Oh my gosh, Mimi…" Sheldon gasped.

"Hey you." Mimi gave a weak smile. "You're back."

"Oh my, what happened?" Sheldon asked. "Are you fighting cancer?"

"No." Leonard said. "She was driven with guilt and worry about you she developed anorexia."

"Anorexia, but – ," Sheldon started. "Oh my gosh, Mimi…"

"I'll be ok." Mimi said. "You're here now."

Sheldon went over to hold Mimi, who looked so fragile that he was afraid he might crush her. All he felt were bones sticking out, and she did not feel like Mimi. Sheldon was so surprised when he saw her spine sticking out from the back of her neck.

"Mimi…" Sheldon whispered. He sank to the ground next to her bed, his hand clutching hers. He was so upset to see her in such a state.

Mimi rested her back against her bed. "It's ok." She said. She closed her eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Gabriel before you ran away, Sheldon."

"No, Mimi…" Sheldon said. "I – no."

Silence hung in the air.

Just then, a nurse brought in breakfast for Mimi.

"Breakfast for Mimi Edwards." She said. Leonard gestured towards Mimi.

Mimi was given a banana and a bowl of soup, soy milk for breakfast.

"Come on, eat up like a good girl." Sheldon instructed.

Mimi gave a small smile, and picked up her spoon, but she only took a few nibble before saying, "I think it's fine."

"What do you mean it's fine?" Sheldon asked. "You need to recover."

"I don't think I want to eat." Mimi said.

"But why?" Sheldon asked. "Just eat that portion, it's terribly small. You can finish that! Besides, it's good food!"

"No, Sheldon." Mimi said.

"Mimi just eat!" Sheldon said. He wasn't happy about having made Mimi the way she was right now, and he wasn't happy about her not eating!

"I'm sorry, Sheldon." Mimi said. "But you don't understand." Tears were welling in her eyes.

Sheldon looked at Mimi. He didn't understand. "But why not?" he asked. "It's a simple – eat and you'll be fine again."

"No, it's not how it works." Mimi cried. "I've been through it once – I know what I have to do – it's just not as easy as it sounds."

"I don't understand!" Sheldon exclaimed.

"I'm sorry." Mimi said.

"Don't say you're sorry, just eat up!" Sheldon raised his voice.

"Sheldon…" Leonard said.

"What?" Sheldon asked. "Did you bring me here to show me Mimi? Because I'm not happy with what I'm seeing!" He walked out of the ward without even saying goodbye.

Mimi covered her face with her hands. "Oh no…" she sobbed. "Not again…"

"Mimi, I think I have to go after Sheldon." Leonard said. "I promise I'll talk to him and take him back here soon." He said goodbye and ran to where Sheldon left.


	2. Chapter 2: Fixing Bullet Holes

Leonard found Sheldon crying on the bench outside the hospital.

"Sheldon…" Leonard said.

"I don't understand!" Sheldon said again. "Why did she do it? Why did she starve?"

"She was worried about you!" Leonard said.

"But I'm here!" Sheldon cried. "Why isn't she eating up?"

"Sheldon, she said it: it's not that simple." Leonard sighed.

"That's what she keeps telling me." Sheldon said grumpily. "Just take me home. I don't want to go back to her like this."

Leonard took Sheldon home, where Sheldon spent the rest of the day sulking in his room. Leonard met Penny on the way in.

"Hey, have you seen Mimi?" she asked.

"No, she's at the hospital." Leonard said.

"Still with Gabriel?" Penny rolled her eyes. "Ugh, so going out."

"No, she got worried and driven with guilt after Sheldon ran away and got anorexia." Leonard said.

"What?" Penny laughed. "Over Sheldon?"

"Shut up." Leonard said.

"Ok, so why did Sheldon run away?" Penny said.

"Because he was jealous of Gabriel." Leonard said.

"Oh, thank goodness." Penny said.

"How is that good?" Leonard exploded. "Sheldon is in the dumps, Mimi is dying, and who know what's happened to Gabriel?"

"Since when have you cared so much about Sheldon?" Penny asked. "And especially Mimi?"

"They're my friends!" Leonard said.

"And I'm not?" Penny shouted. "You hadn't called me once after the night of that show! Nor came by to say hi!"

"What about that?" Leonard said.

"Oh get lost, Leonard Hofstadter." Penny spat, and went to her room. Leonard groaned. What was wrong with his life?

Mimi sat on her bed and sulked. Maybe she really wasn't enough for Sheldon. Maybe that's why he ran away. Maybe…

She paid a visit to her doctor and decided to decrease her portions. She wasn't ready for this yet.

The next morning, when Mimi woke up, she found Sheldon sitting beside her bed with Leonard. She gasped. "Oh, Sheldon!" she silently said.

"I'm back." Sheldon said.

"Sheldon, I am so sorry." Mimi said. "You're right, why can't I eat that damn thing?"

"Yes. You'd better eat." Sheldon said sarcastically. "You look half dead."

"I am really sorry about yesterday." Mimi said, sadly.

Leonard looked at Sheldon. "Don't you remember what we practiced?" he asked.

Sheldon sighed. "Look, Mimi I am sorry I ran away." He said. "I didn't know it will do such horrible things to you."

"Sheldon, it's ok." Mimi said. She reached out and put her bony arms around Sheldon's neck, and Sheldon bent down to hold her.

"I was… worried. That you were going to die." Sheldon sobbed.

"Sheldon, I won't die." Mimi said. "You're here, I think I'll be ok."

Sheldon stayed with Mimi for the next few weeks, working at the hospital, and made sure she ate her now 1400-kcal meal. Mimi did cry sometimes, protesting she couldn't eat, but Sheldon could make her most of the times. Mimi was released from the hospital for a short trip home.

"I want to spend the two days wisely, with you." Sheldon said. He was holding Mimi's hand as they walked down the stairs to go to the park. He could still feel all the bones in her hand, but he guessed she was returning to the Mimi he knew.

"Me too." Mimi said. Summer was only beginning to end, with the slightest cool breezes which always made Sheldon feel nice, but Mimi was wearing cardigan and scarves.


	3. Chapter 3: Saving Mimi

They went to the park and sat on the bench facing the pond, talking and feeding the ducks.

"What food did you like best before you stopped eating?" he asked.

"I don't know." Mimi said. "Maybe mac and cheese? Ice cream?"

"But that doesn't mean I want them for lunch." She said quickly. Cholesterol and sugar? No thank you…

"Hmm." Sheldon said. "But I'm your guardian now, and I get to decide what you eat and don't."

When it was near lunch time, they went back to the apartment to eat.

Sheldon sat Mimi on the couch. "What are we having?" Mimi asked.

"It's a secret." Sheldon said. He went over to Mimi and blindfolded her.

"Wait, what?" Mimi said.

Sheldon took the tray for Mimi from under the kitchen island. He had prepared tiny portions of Mimi's favorite food – some mac and cheese, an éclair cut into quarters, a tiny cup of ice cream – and took it to her.

"Now, it's time for lunch." Sheldon said, sitting in his usual spot next to her. He had been planning this for quite a while now. "I'll feed you something and you can guess what it is."

"Ok." Mimi said. She didn't sound too sure. But Sheldon was her guardian, and she didn't want to be stuck in that hospital a day longer!

"Now open." Sheldon said.

Sheldon put one hand on Mimi's shoulder (which still felt too bony to him!) and fed her some macaroni and cheese.

"What is it?" Sheldon asked as Mimi ate. She seemed a little reluctant at first, but then she broke out laughing.

"It's mac and cheese, oh my gosh!" She said.

"How does that feel?" Sheldon asked.

"Oh, it's good." Mimi said.

"Good." Sheldon said. "I brought you a reasonable portion – I used exactly half of what Betty Croaker told me to. And you're going to eat it all up."

"Fine." Mimi said. Sheldon fed her each forkful, and Mimi ate it all up.

"That's my girl." Sheldon said. "Ok, guess what's next."

He picked up one of the pieces of the éclair and put it into Mimi's open mouth. Her lips brushed against his fingers as she closed it.

"I know you loved them." Sheldon said, grinning.

Mimi chewed her way through the éclair. "It's cream." She said. "Wait."

"Eclairs from Europane bakery, 345 E Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91101!" Sheldon and Mimi shouted at the same time.

"Oh my gosh I can't believe you got these!" Mimi said. "Is this really the one I like? The one with raspberry icing and meringue drops?"

"I believe so." Sheldon said.

"Oh wow." Mimi said.

"Wait, it's not done yet." Sheldon said.

"What? But I'm full!" Mimi protested.

"It's almost over." Sheldon said. He fed her rest of the pastry, and the ice cream.

"Now how was that meal?" he asked.

"Thank you." Mimi said. She raised her hand to take the blindfold off, but Sheldon caught her hands, and before Mimi could protest, swiftly put his lips against hers. Mimi was surprised at first, but realizing what had happened, reached out to put her hands around Sheldon's neck and kissed him properly.

Sheldon pulled the blindfold off Mimi's face after pulling back.

"Wow, Sheldon." Mimi said.

"I don't know how I did it." Sheldon said. His heart was thumping, his face was flushed, but no, it wasn't alien parasites.

"Mimi, I love you." Sheldon said. Mimi looked at him. "I am sorry again for leaving you."

Mimi looked at him sadly. "I love you too, Sheldon." She finally said. He finally heard those words he had never heard before. He had wondered how they felt, and they felt… nice. Strangely warm and comforting. Sheldon put the tray away, and they curled up on the couch with the TV on.

"Promise me you'll never leave me like that again." Mimi said.

Sheldon lay a kiss on the top of Mimi's head for an answer. If that was what he had to do, it could be managed.

They watched a movie, and Mimi fell asleep in Sheldon's arms on his couch, before returning to the hospital the next day. Sheldon made her promise she will eat well so as to be released from hospitalization in two weeks. If that was the price she had to pay to see Sheldon? Well, she was into it.


End file.
